The Cecil Whig., 1887-06-11
THE ISSUES OF TO-DAY,
Senator Sherman'S Address TO
Illinois Republicans.
COMPARING THE TWO PARTIES.

| Democracy Arrnigned in Strong Terms
Cleveland in Office by Means of Fraud
and Crime-ReforMs wrought by tho
q. D. P.-The Mission of Republi lea nism.
SrkINCFIELD, ILL.,, June 1.-Senator
Sherman, on invitation of the Legislature
of Illinois, this afternoon addressed the
members ofthat body and distinguished
assemblage of prominent Republican
politicians from all sections, and citizens
and ladies, on the political questions of
the day. He was received with great
cordiality. His text was: "The Princ-
pies and Tendencies of the Two Great
Political PARTIES" This led him to re-
view at some length the position of the
two parties before and during the civil
war, and when he alluded to Mr.. Lin
coin and the patriotic acts of the loyal
Democratic leaders, Douglas and Logan,
there was great enthusiasm.
"John A. Logan" he said, "lived the
life that believe Douglas would have
lived if death had spared him. And now
| tho ihdi oic Images Oi LlUCOln ana 1)Oug
las stand side by side in the rotunda of
this capitol, once adversaries in debate
then friends, and now saints alike in the
galaxy of the patriotic dead of the Re-
public. The marble statue of Logan
should complete the triumvirate. [Great
applause.
but what was the course of the Dem
ocratic party during the civil war; Emas
| Iitgd nv thp lnsS nf tha
whe entered the service of their country
in the time of it's peril, it was the repre-
sentative of all the disloyal elements of
our country.
1t gathered in it's folds Knights of the
Golden Circle, the mob rioters of New
| York and the bounty jumpers and shirks
1t met in conclave at Chicago when Gen
eral Grant was fighting his way in the
Wilderness and General Sherman was at
the gates of Atlanta, and declared the
| war failure, demanded peace on any
| terms and a cessation of hostiities, and
| placed upon this platform a Union sol
dler of merit, who promptly and in en-
phatlc language in his letter of accep-
tance repudiated the disloyal position in
which the platform sought to place him.
'As to the Southern wing of the Dem
| ocratlc party, they at least had during
the war the courage of their convictions.
Led by false theories aud local pride into
armed resistance, they did maintain their
cause with even more than the courage
and sacrifices of the Loyalists of La
Nendee. While condemning their cause
We can respect their fidelity to it and the
sincerity OF their motives.
Let us pause at the end of the war
and imagine with what feeling these re-
turning soldiers would have received the
prophecy that, within 20 years, the same
elements of hostility to the Union cause
the same alliance between Confederates
and their sympathizers would be in pos
session of the Presidential office and in
substantial control of the government.
THE feeling and policy of the Repub-
llcan party was not the triumph of VIC
tory, but
SENSE OF GRATITUDE.
'Ihe South Was magnanimously for
given, and measures to increase the pros
perity of the country were adopted The
English Government was compelled to
make restitution for the work of her
cruisers. The interest of the debt was
enormously reduced by the process of
refunding, and, finally, by the resump-
tion of specie payments, our currency
was placed Oh the coin basis This series
of measures, solely the work of the Re-
publican party, rapidly made good the
waste of war and put the country upon
the road OF unexampied progress and
prosperity.
''ln what spirit was this met by Demo-
cracy? Taking advantage of the deiec-
ton of Andrew johnson and his recon-
structlon policy, they commenced with
laws that denied the freedmen liberty of
speech and OF the press, and even the per-
sonal freedom and protection allowed by
the laws of the most despotic powers in
Europe to the meanest Serf, followed by
wholesale assassination of unarmed and
undisciplined negroes inflicted by secret,
organized and disguised bands, using all
the agencies OF terror and superstition
that could affect the minds of an iguo
rant and credulous people with such sue
cess that in lO years after the war the
freedmen of the South could not, as
rule, vote wherever their vote would
change the result. They could hold no
office, and might be cheated and robbed
and murdered with impunity.
And this is not thing of the past. 1t
is 4 fact to day. There is not an intel
ligent man in this broad land of either
party who does not know that MIR. Cleve-
land is now President OF the United
States by virtue of crimes against the
elective franchise, including murder, ar
son, ballot-box stutiing, forgery and per-
jury, but for which James G. Blaine
would now be in his place. There has
not been moment since the adoption of
the 10th amendment when, if there could
have been fair election for President,
a majority of the constitutional voters of
at least five Of the Southern States would
not have voted Tor the Republican nomi-
nee.
REPUBLICAN REFORMS.
''lt was proposed by the Republicans
in Congress to pass a bill called the force
BILL intended to arm the executive au-
thorities with ample power to defend the
colored people against these outrages
| always thought that this bill should
have passed, but the strong feeling of re-
pugnance against such legislation in the
North led many Republicans to vote to
delay, postpone and finally to defeat it.
But General Grant, under existing law,
did commence and prosecute with dIlli-
gence and effect some of the worst cases,
especially in South Carolina where the
organization and methods of the clans
were fully disclosed by judicial testi-
| mony.
Il therefore claim for the Republican
party that while it has not been able to
protect the colored people of the South
in the enjoyment of civil rights or to
guard them by military force from gross
wrong and oppression by the dominant
and controlling physical force of the
South acting i'll the name and in the in
terest of the Democratic party, yet that
it has done all that it could lawfully do,
within the limits of the powers given by
the constitution and the laws, to defend
all classes of people without respect to
race, condition or creed. If it has failed
in any particular it has been because it
was prevented by the policy and power
of the Democratic party, armed with
state authority.
"One duty | think the Republican
party has not yet performed, and that is
in states where it is ascertained that
free and orderly elections for Senators
and Representatives in Congress cannot
be had, Congress should assert and exer-
~.